| Author |
Subject |
HighCellocity
Registered User
(1/4/01 12:50:01 pm)
Reply |
Good
"Step Up" Pernambuco Bow and Care and Feeding
Hi,
I've been using my
Glasser composite bow which I like very much, but I want to get a
more traditional pernambuco bow as well. I would like one that is
good for a beginner who is starting to get dig into more challenging
pieces(I've been playing months, not years  ). Aside
from any specific model suggestions, what are the advantages of a
round vs. octagonal stick? Are things like silver/nickel mounting
and windings purely aesthetic? How much should I expect to
pay?
Also, I have two bows presently, the Glasser and a cheap
E. European brazilwood. I have barely used the brazil at all, but
it's already warped. I slacken the hair when not in use, I don't
over tighten. Could a cheap bow just go bad? One thing I do that may
be bad for it is I hang it by the frog on my music stand. Is that
bad?
If I get a nice wood bow, I don't want to destroy
it!
Thanks,
Matt
|
Andrew
Victor
Registered
User
(1/4/01 5:07:49 pm)
Reply |
Re:
Good "Step Up" Pernambuco Bow and Care and Feeding
Althought many aspects of a bow are
"jewelry," (the frog's mother of pearl, the silver, or gold, the use
of tortoise shell or ivory, or iron wood, instead of ebony, all have
asthetic aspects), there are also practical aspects related to the
specific gravity of the material used; silver, for example is quite
dense, and therefor its use on a frog and silver wire wrap, will add
mass to that end of a bow - a silver plate at the tip, will add more
mass than the more conventional "ivory."
Whalebone (or the
simulating material now used) will add about 3 grams less to the
frog end of a bow than silver-wire winding - it will also make the
bow feel somewhat thicker in the vicinity of the index
finger.
All these things have practical aspects, that alow
the balance and handling properties of the bow to be
adjusted.
It seems to be the choice of makers to select the
more expensive materials to "jewel" up their finer bows. So the
reason a silver bow costs $X00 more than the same maker's bow done
in nickel silver is not the value of the material, which is actually
minor, but the maker's assessment that this is a better bow and thus
worth more. The use of gold may be an even better example. Consider
that a gold-finished bow might have, at most 5 grams of gold worth
less than $100, this bow might sell for $1,500 more than the same
maker's bow finished in silver.
My experience with these
things is rather limited, but I have found that the new pernambuco
bows that are finished in more precious materials seem to me to be
better bows for both handling and the sound they
produce.
With older bows, it would take an expert to
determine if the valuable finish was the work of the maker or a
later luthier. My silver-finished 1896 Albert Nurnberger cello bow
is really not as good a playing bow as a Glasser Composite - on most
cellos, but I'm certain it's not Nurnberger's silver, etc. still on
the bow - I suppose I should have it assessed for balance and
weight, etc. I recently had the silver wire removed from my Richard
Weichold violin bow and replaced with plastic "whalebone" reducing
the total mass by 3 grams and drastically improving the balance,
playability, and sound - all in one stroke.
It is also
possible for a luthier to spoil a good bow by adding to much (or too
little) mass in the selection of type and quantity of finishing
materials. Also, too much hair can change the mass distribution as
well as drastically spoil the sonic qualities of a bow. (Exception:
Arcus bows work well with about twice the normal mass of hair (in
fact, it is required for good performance). Most of these are
reversible effects.
Andy
|
TerryM
Registered
User
(1/4/01 7:03:17 pm)
Reply |
Re:
Good "Step Up" Pernambuco Bow and Care and Feeding
Great advice as usual
Andrew!
I found it very useful to take along an expensive,
borrowed bow of very good quality with me on bow evaluation outings.
I used this as kind of a "reference" bow. I was familiar with this
bow and how it sounded on my cello, but it was more expensive than
what I could afford. But in looking at many other bows I was able to
compare the test bows to my reference on my own cello. In my last
outing I was able to buy a very nice bow with many of the playing
qualities of the reference, but at a very reasonable price.
I
think if you are not hung up on particular makers names, there are a
lot of good bows to be had at reasonable prices. True, these bows
will not appreciate as much as big name bows, but you won't have to
mortgage the house to buy them either. Ultimately, you want a bow
that plays well, gives you the desired response, ease of playing and
volume that you are looking for. If this can be found in a less
expensive bow, then all the better. I would, however, recommend
pernambuco over Brazil wood as it is stiffer, more resilient and it
will last longer. But just because a bow is made from pernambuco
wood bows does not necessarily mean that it will be a better
bow.
Terry
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HighCellocity
Registered User
(1/5/01 2:07:30 pm)
Reply |
Re:
Good "Step Up" Pernambuco Bow and Care and Feeding
Thanks Andy and Terry! Great
info!
Matt
|
Tracie
Price 
Registered User
(1/7/01 11:32:17 am)
Reply |
Re:
Good "Step Up" Pernambuco Bow and Care and Feeding
You might want to consider getting a
carbon fiber bow instead. For the cost, they play much better than
their wooden counterparts (usually)- especially in the range of
student bows.
Just be sure to explore all your options.
|
Dick500
Registered User
(1/8/01 10:29:47 am)
Reply |
Bow
info
I have heard a number of theories
about round vs octagonal. However, none of them can be tested due to
the fact that every single piece of wood is unique and will make a
bow with unique playing characteristics. For example, you can't take
a round bow and make it octagonal in order to test the theory. So,
in my experience, stick shape has no measureable impact on
playability.
Andy is right in that cosmetic decorations do
not carry the value of the bow. I suspect that, when bowmakers
produce more than one price level of bow, they have to have an easy
way of differentiating between the finished bows in order to save
the time and effort of re-grading the wood.
Hanging a bow by
the frog will do nothing to hurt it as long as the bow does hang
freely. Just make sure it doesn't slip and fall onto the tip. That
is where the danger comes in.
Every piece of wood and every
piece of carbon fiber has its own personality. What needs to be done
is to match the playing characteristics of the bow with the playing
characteristics of the instrument and the taste/technique of the
player. A bow which works well on one instrument may play miserably
on another. I've seen it happen at all price ranges. A good bow from
a player's perspective, therefore, is one that plays well on the
instrument in question.
I've also seen good pieces of
brazilwood outplay entry-level pieces of pernambuco.
As far
as warping, lots of factors can come into play, including but not
limited to: uneven hair tension, too many broken hairs, green wood,
uneven/crooked grain in the wood, knots in the wood, twists in the
stick, badly seated frog, soft cello cases which put a bend in the
stick while in the bow holder. When a bow is warped when it it
tightened to playing tension, it is also a good idea to inspect it
when the tension is off. If it totally goes away when the tension is
off, maybe a rehair might be in order.
The best way to
purchase a bow is to audition a group of them. As a bow approval
pro, I long ago devised the following testing procedure to pick out
a "good" bow with the least amount of distraction and the least
potential for making a bad choice. Here it is in a nutshell: Pay
attention to the bow's ability to "track" with a full clean sound,
the bow's ability to "let the vibrato out", and the bow's ability to
do the trick stokes quickly, cleanly, and articulately. Do the tests
in that order. If a bow fails one test, remove it from further
consideration. It is much easier to determine bow/instrument
compatibility by starting with the things you do most often. Too
many people try bows and immediately try out the trick strokes
without realizing that if the bow doesn't give a full tome it won't
do anything well. What very often happens is that the trick-stroke
bow testers pick up bows which their instrument hate, don't
recognize the incompatibility, blame themselves, and lapse into
practicing before they have allowed themselves to concentrate on the
subject at hand--the bows.
So, whether pernambuco,
brazilwood, or carbon fiber, pick a bow which both you and your
instrument like. Can you do this without trying bows on approval?
Unlikely. Will a type of bow which works for somebody else work
equally well for you? Maybe, maybe not. If you get one "just like"
somebody else's, will it play the same? Not really. Bows are human,
too. They're just like relatives. A group of them can all have the
same name--some of them you'll love, some you'll hate, and some you
won't even be able to stand except maybe twice a year at the major
holidays. So pick one because you and your instrument love it--not
for any other reason.
Dick
|
Manolian
Registered User
(1/9/01 6:58:34 pm)
Reply |
Re:
good step up prenambuco bow
I have been playing A CodaBow
lately and like it far more than any pernambuco
bow I've
tried in the $1000. price range.
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